ANAHEIM, Calif. \u2014 Mike Trout expressed a desire to remain with the Los Angeles Angels, a franchise suddenly in transition. The three-time AL MVP said Tuesday that longtime owner Arte Moreno\u2019s sale of the team to Kroenke Sports & Entertainment brings a change that \u201cwas needed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo hard feelings with Arte,\u201d said Trout, \u201cbut I\u2019m super excited. The guys are excited. There\u2019s a good vibe around the clubhouse, vibe around the stadium.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trout has spent his entire 16-year career with the Angels, a period that has coincided with one of the worst stretches in franchise history. The Angels have not made the postseason since 2014, the longest active postseason drought in the majors, and have not won a playoff game since 2009, two years before Trout reached the majors.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s Angels are no different. They fired general manager Perry Minasian in late June and clinched an 11th consecutive losing season last month. Their new aim under interim general manager John Mozeliak and first-year manager Kurt Suzuki (whose contract runs through this season) is avoiding the club\u2019s first 100-loss campaign.<\/p>\n
Trout, the face of the franchise, has nonetheless been clear and direct about his desire to remain in Anaheim. In 2019, he agreed to a 12-year, $426.5 million contract extension, which was a record at the time. Throughout, he has voiced a belief in Moreno\u2019s ownership and highlighted the relationship they have.<\/p>\n
The arrival of Stan Kroenke, whose sports empire includes the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and Premier League\u2019s Arsenal, among others, brings with it ballast. Kroenke\u2019s decision to purchase the Angels at a record $4 billion valuation<\/a> has not impacted Trout\u2019s plans to remain in Southern California.<\/p>\n Why Angels fans should be rejoicing after the team is sold<\/p>\n Andy McCullough<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t change,\u201d Trout said. \u201cI\u2019ve got four years left on my deal. I\u2019m excited. Look, the track record, it\u2019s there (with Kroenke). Super excited to meet him and talk to him and get to know him a little bit and see where it goes.\u201d<\/p>\n The remaining four years and $141.8 million on Trout\u2019s deal includes a no-trade clause. Trout has appeared in 119 games for the Angels in 2026, the first time he has played in 100-plus games for a second consecutive season since 2019, the year he last won an MVP award.<\/p>\n After shifting to right field and designated hitter for much of 2025, Trout has returned to center field this season, staying healthy and earning his 12th trip to the All-Star Game. He had 20 home runs to go with an .807 OPS entering Tuesday night\u2019s game.<\/p>\n Trout said he has not spoken to Moreno, who purchased the franchise in 2003 shortly after the team\u2019s only World Series championship. The 23 years since have been marked in many ways by Moreno\u2019s penchant for pursuing big-name stars. Moreno himself helped broker Trout\u2019s extension in March 2019, when he met the superstar alone after a spring training game and expressed his desire to sign Trout for the long term.<\/p>\n Moreno\u2019s tenure has also seen the franchise break away from several of the sport\u2019s norms when it comes to spending on the margins, including player development. Investments in big-name stars did not pan out, including a seven-year, $245 million deal for Anthony Rendon that had to be restructured and will end after this season, with Rendon playing just 257 games for the franchise and none since 2024.<\/p>\n